A / S / II Flashcards
Section II Art (20 cards)
What shape is the Roman Colosseum?
Elliptical
Name 3 ancient sites in Rome that show their architectural genius:
The Roman Forum’s ruins, the Arch of Titus and Arch of Septimius Severus
What Roman innovation allowed for the Colosseum, the Forum, and triumphal arches?
Concrete
What did ancient Romans call concrete?
Opus caementicium
What did Roman concrete consist of?
Broken stone, sand, lime mortar, and water
Name the Roman emperor and the year he died that marks the height of the Roman empire:
Trajan / 117 CE
Name 3 continents the Roman empire covered at its height:
Europe, North Africa, West Asia
Name a reason Romans built monumental architecture and art:
as political tools to glorify emperors and advance agendas
Name building projects Romans built to help with transportation, trade, communication:
roads, bridges, aqueducts
Where was concrete first created?
Ancient Near East
Who first used concrete on a massive scale?
The Romans
Romans used a changing recipe for concrete and poured it into what?
Wood frames
What were the exterior surfaces of hardened concrete often covered in?
Stucco or marble revetment
What does revetment mean?
Facing
What was concrete first used for in ancient Rome?
Filler in between walls
What material did Romans discover enhanced the use of concrete and how did it enhance it?
Pozzolana sand or ash / concrete could cure or set, even under water
When did Romans discover and start using volcanic ash in their concrete?
2nd century CE
Name advantages of concrete:
inexpensive, easy to mix on site, unskilled workers could make it, incredibly adaptable
Describe how concrete could be made into many shapes:
poured into wooden frames, made shapes impossible to make with cut stone, wood or mud bricks
Name other ancient Roman architectural achievements besides concrete:
arches, vault, dome
